The Nature of Their Partnership
by mygrl
Summary: Alex refelcts on her partnership with Bobby. This will hopefully be a continuing story to take them to Tates and how their partnership may or may not fall apart. Not sure whether this is a ship or friendship. Have to see where it goes.


I'm just playing. CI and Law and Order are so not mine.

The Nature of Their Partnership

She was eleven when she first understood the meaning of a partnership. It was very late one night, maybe even after midnight. Her brothers and sisters were all fast asleep but Alex always had a hard time sleeping when her father worked late hours. She vaguely remembered him coming home, but was jolted completely out of her sleep when she heard noises downstairs and hushed voices. She tiptoed to the top of the stair and placed her head so she could see through the rails. First, she heard her mother's voice.

"Johnny, this is his doing. His alone.". But she could make out the shadowed figure of her father pacing. "I have to do something. You know I have to do something. I can't let him lose his badge!"

"John! He could have gotten you killed tonight! You have a family, a job, people who depend on you!"

"So does he" her father said

"His drinking has gotten out of control. It's one thing to turn a blind eye to his drinking during off hours, but on the job? John. Now, you're going to lie for him? To the Captain? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!" Her mother was crying at this point. And she could see her father's arm reach out to her.

"Emily, he's my partner. I'll never abandon him. He'd never abandon me. You just...you can't...understand."

Her father never did request a new partner. Whether or not her father's partner, her "Uncle Will" ever drank on the job again, or whether he ever kicked his alcoholism, she was never quite sure.

Over the years, their partnership went through ups and downs, but all she knows now, so many years later, is that after "Uncle Will" died, her father was never quite the same.

* * *

She remembers talking to her father after her first tough month with Goren. She was leaning against a work table in her parent's garage while her father toyed with the engine under the hood of his car. "I just don't know". She said, sighing.

"What don't you know?" He asked distractedly, not looking up.

"My partner. I don't feel...you know, comfortable" She took a swig of her root beer.

Her father looked directly at her at this. "Comfortable...what...is he...you know..making adavances...or..."

"No, no. Nothing like that" She laughed. It didn't matter that they were both cops. She was still his little girl. "I just...I don't think I would take a bullet for him." There. She said it. She wouldn't take a bullet for her partner. She bit the inside of her cheek awaiting a lecture from her father. A lecture about the nature of her job. About always having your partners back. Responsibility. She waited. But it never came. Instead her father just smirked.

"I'd be worried if after a month, you _would _take a bullet for him, Lex." She raised her eyebrows But he went on. "It takes time. Patience. And trust. See, partnerships, well they're different. You get placed with this total stranger, who you have to work with for ungodly hours. This person will see you at your best and your worst. You will be each other's right and left arms. And then one day, and this day comes for all cops, you're in a situation where you realize that you _are_ thinking about your partner first, and yourself second. In that split second, you will realize that you would take a bullet for your partner. And if you're lucky, that person may turn out to be your best friend."

"But what if..." she started

"Come to me after a year. If after a year, you still won't take a bullet for him, then you should request a new partner. Partnerships are a lot like marriages Alex. They take work from both sides."

Alex smirked. "Dad...like a marriage?..You and Uncle Will?..No wonder mom was jealous of all the time you spent together."

He threw the greasy rag at her.

* * *

Sometime, when she was pregnant, and had started to show, she had explained to him over paperwork one night how awkward she felt whenever people asked her if she was excited. She told him how exhausting, and confusing it was to explain to people that "no, it wasn't her baby" and "yes, she was happy to do it" and so on. She told him that at some point, recently, she began to just nod her head and smile. She even admitted that she was once so self conscious about being pregnant with no ring on her finger that she started to lie about her hands being swollen, and her wedding band not fitting. She admitted all this to him, while only looking up from her paperwork occasionally, afraid of what he would think. He never really commented that night but the next day something happened that she would never forget.

They were walking down the street to an interview when Alex was stopped by a woman with a stroller and cell phone on her ear. "...I have to call you back" she said and grabbed Alex's hand. "Oh my god. Alexandra Eames. It's been what, like 17 years? And look at you. When are you due? Is it a boy or girl? Aren't you so excited? You're going to love it! Being a mom is the best! Alex was stunned and looked down and started to say something when he chimed in.

"Actually, yes, we're both very excited". Alex's looked up him quickly. "I'm Bobby. Alex's husband." He grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers together. "Honey, are your hands swollen again? Where is your ring?" She panicked for a minute, thinking _he's not wearing a ring_ _either_ when she realized he must have reached into his pocket and taken out the prop ring they used when they were undercover. He didn't wait for her to answer. "Her hands get swollen." The woman looked up him and nodded understandingly.

"So Alex.." The woman started

"I'm so sorry. Alex, we're going to be late for the Doctors". Bobby smiled

"Oh..well..I won't keep you then. Good luck Alex." And she watched them walk away.

Alex looked up at him. "Thanks Bobby."

He shrugged. "What are partners for? I've got your back, Eames."


End file.
